Filippo Giovagnoli, the man plotting Arsenal’s downfall in the Europa League on Thursday night, briefly considers what tempted Dundalk to pluck him from the obscurity of youth development in New York City.
‘A guy with nothing to lose, coming like a tank to go through everything,’ the Italian replies. ‘This is my character, more or less. They interviewed many coaches. Maybe they liked my profile. I was confident, I have a plan, I am organised, I am strong, and they picked me, so I was lucky.
‘There are so many good coaches in the world and they deserve opportunities.